I first heard about the BARK ranger program when we were entering Montezuma’s Castle National Monument. Martok was so excited to get hiking that we didn’t go inside and sign up. Now I wish I had because they sell these really cool looking dog tags.
It is kind of like the junior ranger program in that the parks are trying to educate and create enthusiasm. It may seem a bit gimmicky, but if it creates more dog friendly areas in parks, I’m all for it.
The pilot program started in 2015 at Olympic National Park and became official in the summer of 2016. Montezuma Castle was next, which is where we first heard of it. These are the two flagship parks. It has since spread to 11 other parks.
We gotta have an acronym
What does BARK mean?
Bag your poop
Always use a leash (6’ max)
Respect wildlife (no chasing or scaring)
Know where you can go (dog friendly areas and trails)
They are the common sense rules that apply in all the parks no matter how dog-friendly they are or aren’t.
BARK ranger parks we have visited
It seems we can’t find what you’re looking for.
Parks with BARK ranger programs
| Park | State | paw rating |
|---|---|---|
| Montezuma Castle National Monument | AZ | 4 |
| Petrified Forest National Park | AZ | 4 |
| Lake Mead National Recreation Area | AZ, NV | 4 |
| Redwood National Park | CA | 1 |
| Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore | MI | 3 |
| George Washington Carver National Monument | MO | 4 |
| Glacier National Park | MT | 1 |
| Hopewell Culture National Historical Park | OH | 4 |
| Friendship Hill National Historic Site | PA | 4 |
| Olympic National Park | WA | 3 |
| San Juan Island National Historical Park | WA | 4 |
| Fort Vancouver National Historic Site | WA, OR | 4 |
| Devil’s Tower National Monument | WY | 1 |
Just because a park participates in the BARK ranger program doesn’t mean it is an exceptionally dog-friendly park. Both Glacier and Devil’s Tower are 1-paw parks which we have visited and they have no dog-friendly trails but are still part of the program. Overall most of them are of the more dog-friendly variety.
Where to find more information
While I have been writing for a while about the parks my Danes have visited, I don’t have a comprehensive list of all the park pet policies posted. However, I did find an awesome site, National Park Paws, that does have links to the pet policies for all the parks. They put a whole lot of work into gathering all that information so make use of it.
FYI-Martok was not wearing a leash in the above photo because he was on private property next to Devil’s Tower.
